In 1865, Abraham Lincoln ran for reelection on the Republican Party ticket. His running mate was Andrew Johnson, a senator from Tennessee. Although Johnson was from a southern state, he supported the Union in the Civil War. At Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, the newly elected vice president made a memorable appearance. Before Lincoln delivered his great address, Johnson, who was possibly drunk, gave an incoherent, rambling speech that lasted almost an hour. (Library of Congress)
Abraham Lincoln posed for photographer Alexander Gardner in February 1965, three months after he won his reelection bid. This portrait from that session reveals the toll the presidency and years of civil war had taken on him. Although he was only 55 at the time it was taken, his wrinkled forehead and sunken cheeks seem to belong to a much older man. After Lincoln’s death, prints of this portrait were popular among Americans in mourning for the president. (Library of Congress)
Tens of thousands of Americans flooded into Washington, DC, to attend the Inaugural Day festivities four months after Lincoln’s reelection. Heavy spring rains turned the streets into muddy pits, making it difficult for the onslaught of visitors to navigate the city. (Library of Congress)
This painting shows Lincoln at an gala held the day after he delivered his inaugural address. One local newspaper at the time declared that the event as the most lavish inaugural party ever. Anticipating that the war would be over soon, people in Washington were eager to celebrate. Lincoln and his wife Mary left early, but many of the guests feasted on an elaborate midnight buffet and then danced until dawn. (Library of Congress)
After his death, Lincoln and his legacy were honored with statues in public spaces throughout the country. The most famous is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, which was dedicated in 1922. Two of Lincoln’s most famous speeches are inscribed on the walls of the memorial--the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address. (National Parks Service)
On April 15, 1965, Abraham Lincoln was murdered by John Wilkes Booth while the president was attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC. The nation was stunned by Lincoln’s tragic death, which came less than a week after the Confederate Army surrendered. In towns and cities across America, many thousands lined the streets to see the caravan carrying Lincoln’s body back to Illinois. This photograph shows the massive crowd of onlookers in New York City who came out to give the president their final farewell. (Library of Congress)
Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address before an enormous crowd on March 4, 1985. This image created by Alexander Gardner is the only photograph ever made of Lincoln delivering a speech. (Library of Congress)
In this detail from the Inaugural photo, an oval shape signals out Lincoln, as he reads his speech before the crowd. Another oval on the balcony above singles out John Wilkes Booth, the Confederate actor who, less than six weeks later, assassinated the president.(Library of Congress)
On a wall in the U.S. Capitol Building, a mural by Allyn Cox depicts Lincoln, standing between Vice President Andrew Johnson and Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, during the Second Inaugural. To the left of the image is a soldier, representing the end of the Civil War. To the right is a former slave casting a vote, symbolizing the emancipation of the slaves during Lincoln’s first term. (Architect of the Capitol)
The famous Gardner photograph was recreated by director Steven Spielberg in his film Lincoln (2012). The movie dramatizes the last four months of Lincoln’s life.
